A super-duper hit from superstar Shahrukh Khan is long overdue, says
the industry. Though his magnetic personality pulls in fans for each
of his films, they were not enough to make his last few films
blockbusters. Now trade pundits are hoping that Chennai Express would
taste box-office success and boost King Khan's fluctuating fortunes.
Shahrukh has pulled out all stops to make this one a hit - from
onground promotions across states, special appearances on the small
screen, having the film's music played in restrooms of multiplexes and
releasing it on an occasion as holy as Eid on Friday - King Khan has
steered Chennai Express around all the right quarters.
In the recent past, the 47-year-old has showcased a variety in his
roles - if he played a fictional version of himself in Billu Barber,
he portrayed Rizwan Khan, a character suffering from Asperger syndrome
in My Name Is Khan with vengeance. His Ra.One, one of the most
expensive movies made in the country, gave SRK a superhero avatar,
while Don 2: The Chase Continues brought him back as the villain, and
Jab Tak Hai Jaan gave a window to his most-loved romantic streak.
My Name Is Khan fared better internationally. SRK himself admitted he
could have done better with Ra.One. And the fizz for Jab Tak Hai Jaan
died soon after it was released.
Such lulls are not new in the Bollywood badshah's over two-decade-old
career. Remember how post-Main Hoon Na, his films Swades, Veer-Zaara
and Paheli won critical acclaim, but failed to elicit an overwhelming
response at the box office?
Then 2006 release Don punched out the bad phase with its tremendous
business, followed by two more blockbusters -Om Shanti Om and Chak De!
India in the following year.
Now people are hoping for a winner in the Rohit Shetty directorial
Chennai Express, which sees SRK romancing his Om Shanti Om co-star
Deepika Padukone.
More so, since it is only Farhan Akhtar- starrer Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
which has been holding the fort at the cash registers since four weeks
now. Smaller films have come and gone, but the demand for Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag, a biopic on ace athlete Milkha Singh, has been pacing ahead,
crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark on Bollywood's racing track.
Chennai Express, with its huge marketing campaigns and tie-ups, heavy
duty promotions, eclectic catchy music, as well as a grand release of
over 3,500 screens in the country and 700 screens abroad, is expected
to outshine Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. It is also being dubbed in nine
languages - English, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Hebrew, Dutch,
Turkish and Malay.
" Chennai Express is a commercial entertainer and has an obvious and
enormous demand overseas with Deepika Padukone's and Shahrukh Khan's
fan base," says Amrita Pandey, executive director, International
Distribution Studios, Disney UTV.
Nine months after failing to impress his fans with his true-romantic
avatar in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, SRK has taken the commercial action-comedy
genre route, which is usually the trademark of his arch rival Salman
Khan.
"Chennai Express is a comedy film with a love story, but it's
definitely not like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
It's a family entertainer. There's a little action too," SRK stated
recently.
Will Chennai Express chug away to success with all its steam?
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